FAQs

Best time to arrive?

The best time is early! The lines may form as early as 6 PM - an hour before showtime. Reminder - we have a lot more for you to enjoy before the show begins in our new location at The Hood Mansion. Beginning at 5:30 PM every Friday, enjoy scrumptous favorites from the TIPS Tri-Tips Trolley menu. Several local wineries have donated their finest for our wine pourings - all proceeds to benefit the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation at $5 a glass or $25 a bottle. Henhouse Brewery offers their favorite ice-cold tapped beers, too! You must stop by and say hello to our friends at Rainy Day Chocolates - enjoy the best chocolate truffles in Sonoma County! Let the yungins' have some fun playing in the Kids Korner and get a special face-painting created by Sonoma County's famous Clementine the Amazing. And, of course, Funky Fridays shirts, hats and souvenir shopping is a must. So come out early, pick a spot for your chairs or blanket, then take a short walk around the premises before showtime!

Credit cards accepted?

YES! We have a 'Square' Station on site for your convenience. Any of our friendly volunteers will point you in the right direction! Please, cash only for admission and parking.

Details about lawn seating?

Bring your own low-back chair or blanket for sitting on the lawn. There are no benches or chairs available @ The Hood. No umbrellas. High-back chairs must be placed on the perimeter of the seating area. Courtesy rule applies - if you are blocking someone's view, you may be asked to relocate by a crowd control supervisor.

Directions to The Hood Mansion?

From Santa Rosa: Take Highway 12 East to the traffic light at Pythian Road. Turn left and go past the entrance to St. Francis Winery. Continue straight ahead where parking lot attendants will be waiting to guide guests to the parking lots from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Show starts at 7 PM prompt!

From Sonoma: Take Highway 12 West to the traffic light at Pythian Road. Turn right and go past the entrance to St. Francis Winery. Continue straight ahead where parking lot attendants will be waiting to guide guests to the parking lots from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Show starts at 7 PM prompt!

Food available every Friday night?

Uh-huh, you bet! The ever-popular TIPS Tri-Tips Trolley - Home of the World Famous "Cubed" Tri-Tip Sando - will be with us each Friday offering a full menu to our guests including salads, desserts and drinks. And you must experience the taste of handmade, hand-dipped truffles made by our friends from Rainy Day Chocolates, at each event throughout the summer. There will be no going-hungry, for sure!

How can I be a Funky Fridays volunteer?

We welcome new volunteers! Signing up is easy. On this website, click on the volunteer tab and read about the positions available each week. Then simply click on the sign-up button and make your choice. We always need new volunteers!

Is my annual Regional Parks pass good for FREE parking?

You betcha! Hang it on your rear-view mirror and enter any parking lot for FREE!

Is there a Lost and Found area?

Yes. During the summer, ask any Funky Fridays volunteer where the office is located at the event to check for lost items. After hours, make inquiries about lost items by either emailing funkyfridays@sonic.net or calling 707.833.6288. Valuables will be held throughout the summer months and then given to a local charity. Funky Fridays will not be held liable for any unclaimed items.

Is there a parking fee?

Yes - $10 per car. Good news, though - if you have an annual Regional Parks pass, NO PARKING FEE! Hint: If you know you will be attending several concerts throughout the summer, consider purchasing the annual Regional Parks pass. There are many benefits with purchase, including no parking fee at Funky Fridays.

Is there a photo policy?

By entering any Funky Fridays event, you understand that you may be photographed, filmed or videotaped, and you authorize the organizers the unqualified right to take pictures and/or recordings of you and grant the perpetual right to take use your likeness, image, photo without compensation, for broadcast or exhibition in any medium.

Pets allowed?

No, with an exception for patrons with service animals. We dearly love our pets, but this is not a comfortable environment for our four-legged friends.

Picnics allowed?

Of course - there are no rules when it comes to satisfying your comfort zone. If you choose to tote your own snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to the event, do bring a blanket or similar ground cover to share with family or friends.

Restroom availability?

There are restrooms, including ADA accessible, located on the premises. Ask any volunteer for directions.

Should I purchase advance tickets?

Advance ticket purchases are not mandatory - only a convenience. No waiting in line - just wave those tickets in the air and we guarantee you 'top priority service' at the entrances! By the way, if you purchase tickets in advance and cannot attend that evening...remember that ANY ticket is good for ANY show throughout the summer!

What about ADA accessibility or wheelchairs?

All entrances/exits are accessible for our patrons with disabilities. There is a parking lot specifically for ADA patrons and a drop-off point for our elderly patrons. When you arrive, our parking lot attendees will direct you to these designated areas.
The event site is wheelchair accessible. Need assistance? We'd love to help!

What about alcoholic beverages?

Yep! This year we have you covered! Every week, the finest local wines and tapped beer from HenHouse Brewing Company will be available. All alcoholic beverages will be available for guests with ID's - 21 years of age or older - wristbands will be required. Water and non-alcoholic beverages will be offered every Friday throughout the season, as well.

NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED AT THESE EVENTS

"The special event liquor license obtained for Funky Fridays by the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation does not allow attendees to bring their own alcoholic beverages onto the site during the event. We must abide by the rules of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

We understand that the first three years of Funky Fridays at Sugarloaf, attendees brought their own alcoholic beverages, which was allowed in the absence of a liquor license and on-site sales. However, our current special event liquor license prohibits 'outside' alcoholic beverages on the premises - it's the law.

We are sorry for any disappointment or inconvenience this has caused, and we appreciate your understanding. We hope you continue to come out and enjoy the LIVE music and support our parks by purchasing the alcoholic beverages we are licensed to sell on the premises.

What about parking?

Our new location has an ample amount of parking space available for everyone attending the Hood Mansion lawn concerts. This includes designated parking areas for volunteers and band members, specific and convenient parking spaces for ADA guests with disabilities, and an area specified for drop-offs only. Courteous, professional parking lot attendees will help make your arrival to the parking lots easy and safe.

What is some history of The Hood Mansion?

William Hood (1818-1903), one of the area’s earliest settlers, purchased the 18,833 acre Los Guilicos Rancho with a partner in 1849, began construction of the mansion in 1857 and married Eliza Shaw in 1858. Their mansion was foreclosed and sold at auction in 1877, but in the 1880s Eliza ran the on-site winery that became the largest producer of any single-grower winery in California. Utah Senator Thomas Kerns owned the property from 1905 to 1918 as his summer home, and in 1925 the Knights of Pythias bought the Kearns Ranch as a self-supporting farm and home for the aged. The State of California purchased the property in 1945 for use as the Los Guilicos School for Girls, and the County of Sonoma bought it in the 1970s to use as a juvenile hall and junior college. Hood Mansion is on the national register of historic places and is the only existing brick building from the pre-civil war era in Sonoma County.

Master planning efforts for the property requires public engagement, and we hope that Funky Fridays will increase public awareness and also awake a sense of excitement and community pride in the future of The Hood Mansion.

Where is Hood Mansion?

Hood Mansion is just off Highway 12 on North Pythian Road about 1 mile west of Kenwood.

How do I become a Regional Parks member and get my annual parking pass?

Regional Parks passes are available online through the Sonoma County Regional Parks website. There is also a form on the website to download, print, and mail to Regional Parks with your payment. In these cases, please allow about two weeks to receive your pass in the mail.

If you want to have the option to use your membership as a Funky Fridays parking pass immediately, you have a couple options:

One - go to the Regional Parks main office at 2300 County Center Drive, Santa Rosa, Monday-Friday, from 8am – 5pm, and you will receive your annual pass at the counter.

Two - go to any of the stores listed on the Regional Parks website and purchase a voucher (the list includes all Whole Foods Market locations, REI, and Olivers Markets in Santa Rosa and Cotati). The voucher has a ‘tear-off’ portion you can display on your dashboard for up to 30 days. You will be responsible for redeeming the voucher online, by mail, or at the Parks office.